Coming down from releve retire

[Chinafish]

Hello!!

 

I was just standing around in the office and was mindlessly trying to balance in releve retire.

 

I then realised that I don' t know how to get back down properly.....

 

Do I come back down so I'm in sous-sus, then heels down, or do the leg in retire come down as my heel on the supporting leg come down?

 

Which one is the proper way?

 

thanks!

 

Cheers,

Fish

[balletowoman]

Both are ok (depending on what is asked). The first one you describe is easier (but also more controllable, therefore prettier to 'cheat' with if you lose your balance halfway through and need to go back to the floor quickly).

 

I personally ask more often to glide the front leg down first, then both feet go back to 5th (in a balance) however, when doing a pirouette for eg, you have to land smoothly with both feet.

[Myfairlady]

I often ask my students, when balancing at the barre, to slide their leg into sous-sus, and then close in 5th. This is because otherwise, they tend to plop down quickly and lose their posture and kind of have this attitude of "Well, the combination is over, now I can let it all hang out." But skipping the sous-sous is also correct, as balletowoman already said.

[Chinafish]

Thanks!!